Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Bangladesh: Rohingya

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with Sumbul Rizvi, the UNHCR Representative in Bangladesh, regarding the security situation for Rohingya refugees in Cox’s Bazar, in particular regarding any increases of serious protection incidents, including reports of killings, torture, abductions and sexual and gender-based violence; and to what extent they take such matters into account in determining the amount and nature of support they provide to Rohinya refugees there.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We are concerned at the increase in serious protection incidents in the refugee camp in Cox's Bazar. The UK regularly discusses protection and security challenges for Rohingya refugees with UNHCR, including what more can be done to try to address these issues through programme interventions, and how to support the Government of Bangladesh in their efforts to ensure security in the camps. UK programming is addressing protection issues in the camps, including helping UNICEF tackle child labour and child marriage, and supporting UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund) in preventing and addressing gender-based violence. The UK also supports a consortium of International NGOs, led by Norwegian Refugee Council, to address the drivers and impact of protection incidents.

Gaza: Press Freedom

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the governments of (1) Egypt, and (2) Israel, about allowing free access to Gaza for all foreign media through the Rafah Crossing.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We recognise the valuable work of journalists operating on the ground in Gaza, providing important coverage of the conflict in incredibly challenging circumstances. On 5 December, the UK supported a joint statement of the Media Freedom Coalition expressing concern over the repercussions for the safety of journalists and access to information due to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. As the statement highlights, access to reliable, independent and diverse information sources and access to the internet are essential in times of conflict. We call on all parties to the conflict to comply with international law and protect civilians, including guaranteeing the protection of journalists and media workers.We continue to engage closely with the Israeli Government to discuss a range of issues relating to access to Gaza, and we continue to reiterate the need for Israel to open more crossing points into Gaza. We are working with the Israeli and Egyptian authorities to support any remaining eligible people still in Gaza.

Antimicrobials: Drug Resistance

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that their approach to tackling antimicrobial resistance across the world also works to end preventable deaths linked to unclean birth environments.

Lord Benyon: The UK's Ending Preventable Deaths campaign takes a multisectoral approach which includes tackling antimicrobial resistance, alongside strengthening health systems, sexual and reproductive health and rights, and broader determinants like nutrition, climate and water, sanitation and hygiene. Neonatal sepsis is a particular concern in the context of antimicrobial resistance and as such is where the UK will look to particularly align our work on water sanitation and hygiene, with our work on antimicrobial resistance and the health of mothers and newborns.

Antimicrobials: Drug Resistance

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure preventative measures such as enabling access to clean water and basic toilets, and promoting good hygiene practices are central totheir work on combatting antimicrobial resistance globally.

Lord Benyon: Access to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) in communities and health care settings helps prevent the threat of antimicrobial resistance. The UK's "WASH Systems for Health" programme is working in six lower-middle-income countries to strengthen the systems that deliver sustainable WASH services. The UK-funded Hygiene and Behaviour Change Coalition supported 14,800 facilities with WASH supplies and trained 460,000 health workers on hygiene. We also focus on achieving universal WASH in health care facilities to combat antimicrobial resistance through partners the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the Hand Hygiene for All Partnership.

Sudan: USA

The Earl of Sandwich: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the fact that the US has appointed a temporary envoy to Sudan; and what impact this appointment has had on the role and forward plan of the Troika in Sudan.

Lord Benyon: The UK welcomes Tom Perriello's appointment. We look forward to working with him, Troika partners and the wider international community to press the warring parties to end the violence, secure urgently needed humanitarian access, ensure the protection of civilians and commit to a sustained and meaningful peace process.

Department for Education

Universities: Antisemitism

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support Jewish university students following recent increases in incidents of antisemitism on campuses.

Baroness Barran: Antisemitism, intimidation, and threats of violence must never be tolerated on university campuses. The Community Security Trust 2023 annual report highlights the unprecedented increase in antisemitic incidents in higher education (HE) and this unacceptable rise is deeply concerning. All antisemitism is abhorrent and universities should have robust systems to deal with incidents of support for unlawful antisemitic abuse and harassment. We will not tolerate unlawful harassment or the glorification of terrorism.Since the 7 October attacks, we have actively intervened to ensure that universities act swiftly and appropriately to deal with incidents of antisemitism.The Secretary of State for Education and the Minister for Skills wrote to all universities on 11 October 2023, urging them to respond swiftly to hate-related incidents, and actively reassure Jewish students that they can study without fear of harassment or intimidation. The Minister wrote again to Vice Chancellors on 16 November 2023, emphasising that they must use disciplinary measures wherever appropriate, highlighting the importance of police engagement, and reiterating that student visas could be suspended where a foreign national is found to have committed or incited acts of racial hatred. This was one of the key actions set out in the five point plan for tackling antisemitism in HE, which was published on 5 November 2023. The plan also involves:Calling for visas to be withdrawn from international students who incite racial hatred. Visas are a privilege, not a right, and we will not hesitate to remove them from people who abuse them.Logging specific cases and sharing them with the Office for Students for their consideration.Continuing to make it clear in all discussions that acts that may be criminal should be referred to the police.Establishing a Tackling Antisemitism Quality Seal which will be an award available to universities who can demonstrate the highest standards in tackling antisemitism. On 22 November 2023, the department announced in the Autumn Statement an additional £7 million over three years to tackle antisemitism in education. The Quality Seal will be the cornerstone of this package for universities, providing a framework of measures that will make clear what good practice is in tackling antisemitism in HE, and making sure that our universities are a safe and welcoming space for Jewish students and staff.The department will not hesitate to take further action across education to stamp out antisemitism and harassment of Jewish pupils, students and staff.

Teachers: Workplace Pensions

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential distress caused to spousal pension recipients by Teachers’ Pensions requiring recipients whose spouses retired before January 2007 to confirm annually that they are not living with a new partner; and what assessment they have made of how many such recipients are now living with new partners.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask His Majesty's Government when they expect to publish the outcome of their review into the Teachers’ Pensions fraud system for checking whether spouses of recipients who retired before January 2007 are living with a new partner, as outlined in The Guardian on 10 February.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether Teachers’ Pensions is incorrectly claiming that some pensioners are dead and stopping their pension payments without cross-checking the death register; and of whether it is complying with its data protection requirements.

Baroness Barran: The beneficiaries of spouses who were members of the Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS) who retired before January 2007 are required to complete an annual declaration confirming that they continue to be entitled to receive a survivor’s pension from the Scheme. This process was introduced in 2016 following the identification of a number of cases where entitlement under Scheme rules had ended due to the beneficiary remarrying, entering a civil partnership or living with another person as if married or in a civil partnership. These cases resulted in some significant overpayments needing to be repaid.The possible impact of the letter on the recipient was considered when the process was established and is subject to discussion with the Teachers’ Pension Scheme Advisory Board, however the department considers that this preventative measure is proportionate and preferable to the alternative. The scheme administrator does not collect information on how many recipients are living with new partners as it is not necessary for the administration of the scheme.The review referred to in The Guardian on 10 February 2024 was in relation to a separate data exercise where some details of a recipient of TPS benefits match those of a recorded death. This is a standard check carried out by pension scheme administrators to reduce instances of fraud and error leading to overpayments which ultimately cost the taxpayer if they cannot be recovered.Teachers’ Pensions matches the data of beneficiaries and members who have a pension in payment annually with deaths recorded on the death register. Where there is a sufficiently strong match, the recipient is asked to complete a declaration of ongoing entitlement. The scheme administrator does not record incorrect data about the member from this match and the pension is only suspended if a declaration is not received within 28 days. This is to minimise any potential overpayment.The review was an internal consideration of the processes and it was concluded that they remain appropriate, but that more detailed guidance on the Teachers’ Pensions website would be helpful for those who may be affected. Updated information is currently being prepared.

Uk Council for International Student Affairs: Finance

Lord Bilimoria: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of ceasing funding for the UK Council for International Student Affairs to provide international student support, following the recent changes to the student immigration rules.

Baroness Barran: The government appreciates the significant economic and cultural contribution that international students make to UK higher education (HE). The department is proud to have met its international student recruitment ambition two years running.The department’s offer to international students remains very competitive and the department is committed to ensuring the UK remains a destination of choice for the brightest and best international students from across the globe. The UK has a highly sought after HE experience, which is respected by international students. Universities are independent autonomous institutions and can offer a range of dedicated support to their international students before they arrive in the UK, on arrival and during their studies.The changes to migration policy announced in 2023 strike the right balance between acting decisively on migration while protecting the UK’s position as a world-leader in HE.

UK Council for International Student Affairs: Finance

Lord Bilimoria: To ask His Majesty's Government what current funding they provide for the UK Council for International Student Affairs to provide support for international students, and what assessment they have made of the sufficiency of this funding following the recent changes to immigration rules.

Baroness Barran: The department has provided a 3 year grant to support the work of the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) for international students in England.The government remains committed to the ambitions set out in the International Education Strategy, including the aim to host 600,000 international students in the UK per year by 2030. The department is proud to have met this ambition two years running. The department’s offer to international students remains very competitive and the department is committed to ensuring the UK remains a destination of choice for international students from across the globe.​Universities offer a range of dedicated support to their international students before they arrive in the UK, on arrival and during their studies. Organisations such as UKCISA and the British Council continue to provide information to international students entering the UK.

Free School Meals: Eligibility

Lord Field of Birkenhead: To ask His Majesty's Government what guidance they have provided, if any, to local authorities about using data proactively to identify and register all eligible children for free school meal entitlement.

Lord Field of Birkenhead: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential merits of local authorities using data proactively to identify and register children eligible for free school meals.

Baroness Barran: Maximising the take-up of free school meals is important in ensuring that as many eligible children as possible benefit from a healthy and nutritious meal. The department aims to make it as simple as possible for schools and local authorities to determine eligibility.To support this, an ‘Eligibility Checking System’ has been provided to make the checking process as quick and straightforward as possible for schools and local authorities.The department has looked at this issue and considers there to be merit in local authorities exploring initiatives to maximise take up and to better understand the barriers that prevent such take up, whilst ensuring adherence to legal and data protection constraints. The department has not provided formal guidance to support these activities but continues to engage with key stakeholder on this issue.

Northern Ireland Office

Public Expenditure and Taxation: Northern Ireland

Lord Empey: To ask His Majesty's Government what local revenue raising conditions were attached to the recent financial package awarded to the Northern Ireland Executive.

Lord Caine: The UK Government remains determined to support the Executive to maximise the opportunities presented by the financial package. To help stabilise the Executive’s financial position, the UK Government has agreed to pause its debt repayments from 2022-23 and 2023-24 of up to £559 million and will no longer require these funds to be repaid, subject to the Executive publishing a plan, which outlines how it will deliver sustainable public finances and services, and demonstrating implementation of that plan by May 2025. This sustainability plan must include the delivery of a balanced budget for 2024-25 by raising a minimum of £113 million through locally generated income. It will be for the Executive to determine if it will consider a different course of action to deliver the public services that Northern Ireland needs as part of its plan for financial sustainability.

Cabinet Office

UK Internal Trade: Northern Ireland

Baroness Hoey: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to introduce legislation to ensure “zero checks and zero customs paperwork” for goods moving from Great Britain to Northern Ireland via the UK Internal Market Scheme; and if so, when.

Baroness Hoey: To ask His Majesty's Government whether checks are still made on goods moving from Great Britain to Northern Ireland via the UK Internal MarketScheme.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: As set out in the Safeguarding the Union Command Paper, the internal market system will ensure the smooth flow of goods between Great Britain and Northern Ireland for internal UK trade. In line with the Government’s commitments since 2021, these arrangements establish individual schemes that can be used only by UK internal market traders, to preserve those benefits for UK traders and to maintain the smooth flow of that trade. Checks on internal UK movements under the schemes will be removed except those conducted by UK authorities and required as part of a risk-based or intelligence-led approach to tackle criminality, abuse of the schemes, smuggling and disease risks. We will set out further information on the transition to these new arrangements shortly.

Department for Transport

Airports: Motor Vehicles

Baroness Randerson: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on tourism-related businesses of recent significant increases in fees charged by some airports for vehicles to drop off passengers, and what recent discussions they have had with representatives of the aviation industry about the transparency of the overall structure of their fees and charges.

Lord Davies of Gower: Most airports in the UK are managed and operated as private businesses, and parking arrangements are subject to contractual agreements between airport operators and car parking companies covered by consumer laws. While the Department for Transport regularly engages with airports and airport operators on a range of issues, the provision and charging of car parking at airports (including drop off and pick charges) is a matter for the airport operator as a commercial business to manage and justify and therefore no assessment has been made on any impact on fees charged by airports for vehicles to drop off passengers. However, the Department expects car parking and drop off charges at airports to be managed appropriately and consumers treated fairly.

Ministry of Justice

Surrogacy: Parental Orders

Baroness Jenkin of Kennington: To ask His Majesty's Government whythey do not centrally hold data on the number of Parental Orders awarded each year through the Family Court for England and Wales in cases of surrogacy (1) where the child was born abroad through a commercial surrogacy arrangement, and (2) where the child was born in the United Kingdomthrough a surrogacy arrangement in which the mother uses her own egg.

Baroness Jenkin of Kennington: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to collect and publish data on the number of Parental Orders awarded each year through the Family Court for England and Wales in cases of surrogacy (1) where the child was born through a commercial surrogacy arrangement abroad (2) where the child was born in the United Kingdomthrough a surrogacy arrangement in which the surrogate mother uses her own egg, and (3) where a child was born through surrogacy in this country using the egg of a third party egg donor, and not the egg of the commissioning female parent.

Lord Bellamy: The number of these orders is not recorded centrally. The current recording system only collates data on the total number of parental orders made and there is no capability to break the data into further sub-sets of the different types of surrogacy arrangements. Such information can only be obtained through individual analysis of court files at disproportionate cost since they would require a manual search of court records. The Government has no plans to record this information centrally, doing so would require fundamental changes to existing IT systems. You will be aware that in March 2023 the Law Commission of England and Wales published a joint report with the Scottish Law Commission; “Building families through surrogacy: a new law". The report puts forward recommendations for a robust new system to govern surrogacy in the UK, including recommendations specifically for the family court system. The Government is currently considering all of the recommendations within the report and will publish a full response in due course. If and when further action is taken in response to the report, we will consider the collection of data in this area rather than risk making piecemeal changes.

Department for Business and Trade

Horizon IT System: Compensation

Lord Sikka: To ask His Majesty's Government what is the (1)highest, and (3) lowest, amount of compensation requested by sub-postmasters following the Post Office Horizon scandal; and what proportion of the requested amounts have been paid.

Lord Offord of Garvel: Compensation offers depend on the compensation claim submitted. The total so far paid to the 102 postmasters whose convictions have been overturned is over £38 million, and £34 million has been paid out to 477 GLO claimants. This covers both interim payments and full and final settlements. Postmasters who claimed through the original Horizon Shortfall Scheme (HSS) have now all had offers and 242 offers have been made to late applicants. To date, £107 million has been paid out to all HSS claimants. We publish monthly data on claims received. The most recent monthly data can be found here:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/post-office-horizon-compensation-data-for-2024/post-office-horizon-compensation-data-march-2024#:~:text=As%20of%201%20March%202024,all%20payments%20including%20interim%20paymentsThe amounts awarded to individuals are not revealed out of respect for individuals’ privacy.

Iron and Steel: Safeguard Measures

Lord Watson of Wyre Forest: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potentialimpact on the UK steel industry and the broader economy if the UK's steel safeguard measures were not extended beyond 30 June.

Lord Offord of Garvel: The Trade Remedies Authority published their preliminary findings on the steel safeguard extension review on the 21 February, which set out that evidence pointed towards a likelihood of recurrence of injury to UK steel producers, should the steel safeguard not be extended.Their review remains ongoing, and I cannot comment further nor prejudice their final recommendation. The Secretary of State for Business and Trade will make a decision after she is sent a final recommendation.

Department of Health and Social Care

Incontinence: Products

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they are taking steps to ensure that NHS organisations assess the purchase of absorbent continence products and their dispensation to patients based on (1) their impact on patient experience and outcomes, (2) whole-system costs, (3) laundry costs, including energy use, and (4) environmental impact, as well as item price; and what assessment they have made of the savings thatwould accrue to such organisations in doing so.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking with NHS England to promote the principles of value-based procurement in the purchase and dispensation of absorbent continence products; and to ensure that pressure on NHS organisations to deliver short-term savings does not undermine the adoption of those principles.

Lord Markham: The disposable continence tender is due to be issued to the market later this year. To ensure that the National Health Services requirements are considered during the procurement process, the NHS Supply Chain are undertaking significant engagement across the health and social care system. This includes customers in the acute and wider community setting, suppliers, trade associations, professional bodies, and end user reference groups, to understand their requirements from a commercial, value, sustainability, and supply resilience perspective.The NHS Supply Chain are currently working with suppliers of disposable continence products to understand the value-based procurement and sustainability offerings on the purchase of continence products. The NHS Supply Chain have identified a trust who are committed to supporting us in understanding this value, in the form of a pilot study and potential case study. More information can be provided once these studies have been finalised and confirmed.To support value-based procurement decisions more broadly across medical technologies, a standard methodology is being developed to assess the value of medical technology beyond upfront cost alone. It is intended that this will support the adoption of products which demonstrate value to the whole system, and ensure the best products are reaching patients.The Government is working closely with NHS England and wider health partners to develop the methodology and plans for implementation at both a national and local level. The Government is committed to working collaboratively with industry and the procurement community in developing the methodology and will share an initial proposal in due course.

Treasury

UK Internal Trade: Northern Ireland

Baroness Hoey: To ask His Majesty's Government whether customs paperwork is needed for goods moving from Great Britain to Northern Ireland via the UK Internal MarketScheme.

Baroness Hoey: To ask His Majesty's Government what specific information must be provided for authorisation to access the UK Internal Market Scheme, and whether this includes information to be declared “for customs purposes”in accordance with Article 9(2) of a Joint Committee Decision No 1/2023.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The UK Internal Market Scheme (UKIMS) replaced the UK Trader Scheme on 30 September 2023, allowing a much wider range of businesses to move goods into Northern Ireland under the existing ‘not at risk’ arrangements, with over 3,000 new businesses now authorised.From 30 September 2024, these traders will also be able to benefit from the new simplified processes for UK internal market movements which will scrap burdensome supplementary declarations and use a much shorter, simpler dataset containing standard commercial information.The specific information to be provided in respect of UKIMS authorisation is set out on GOV.UK[1].[1] https://www.gov.uk/guidance/apply-for-authorisation-for-the-uk-internal-market-scheme-if-you-bring-goods-into-northern-ireland

Business: VAT

Lord Weir of Ballyholme: To ask His Majesty's Government how many businesses are expected to benefit from raising of the threshold for VAT exemption from £85,000 to £90,000 per annum.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: It is expected that 28,000 fewer businesses will need to be VAT registered in 2024 to 2025, and 14,000 fewer on average from 2024 to 2025 to 2028 to 2029.This information can be found in HM Revenue & Customs’ publication: ‘VAT: increasing the registration and deregistration thresholds’, published 7 March 2024.

Retail Trade: Sales

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to reports thatretail sales and consumer spending rose at the slowest pace in February since 2022, what steps they are taking to address any challenges resulting from slow growth.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The government is delivering its plan for growth and is backing British businesses.The IMF forecasts that the UK will have the third fastest cumulative growth in the G7 during 2024-2028.Therefore, with the economy beginning to turn a corner, we are now able to make responsible tax cuts to boost growth while meeting the fiscal rules to ensure sustainable public finances. This includes cutting the employee main rate of National Insurance to 8% which, will make an average worker on £35,400 over £900 a year better off than before. This means more money in people’s pockets, helping to increase disposable income and consumer confidence.Government continues to back retailers. At Autumn Statement 2023 we extended Retail, Hospitality and Leisure relief for 2024-5, a tax cut worth £2.4 billion, and froze the small business multiplier for a fourth consecutive year. At Spring Budget 2024, the government went further still by supporting small retailers by increasing the VAT registration threshold to £90,000 and extending the Recovery Loan Scheme, now the Growth Guarantee Scheme.Combined, these measures will place more money in people’s pockets, boost consumer confidence, and help strengthen the UK’s retail sector.

Department for Science, Innovation and Technology

Social Media: Disinformation

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made ofwhichforeign governments have used organised social media disinformation and computational propaganda to manipulate public opinion in the past five years; and what steps they are taking, together with international partners, to combat the threat to democracy from the use of organised computational propaganda, including the employment of private companies by governments in delivering disinformation campaigns.

Viscount Camrose: The Government takes the issue of information threats to national security seriously, including the risk posed by state-sponsored disinformation to democracy. It recognises that some foreign states attempt to manipulate information online to undermine the UK’s interests and weaken the integrity of our democratic institutions. The UK has a strong record of working closely with a wide range of different partners to tackle these risks. For example, our Defending Democracy Taskforce works to protect the democratic integrity of the UK from threats of foreign interference, by engaging across government and with Parliament, the UK’s intelligence community, the devolved administrations, local authorities, the private sector, and civil society. More broadly, the Online Safety Act will address a range of online manipulation tactics which pose a threat to UK democratic integrity. The Foreign Interference Offence has been added as a priority offence in the Act and will require companies to take action against a wide range of state-sponsored disinformation and state-linked interference targeted at the UK. Platforms will be required to take steps to remove content which amounts to foreign interference - including where it is produced by AI bots - if they become aware of it on their services. Finally, we are working in collaboration with international partners to tackle this shared challenge. The UK recently issued a joint statement alongside the US and Canada on our coordinated efforts to counter foreign state information manipulation and is engaging internationally to manage risks on AI-enabled foreign interference, including disinformation. Government is also working to increase cooperation between like-minded international partners and the tech industry to safeguard forthcoming elections from state manipulation, including through the AI Summit.

Home Office

Asylum: Rwanda

Lord Scriven: To ask His Majesty's Government how many Rwandan nationals have been granted (1) refugee status, or (2) other leave to remain, in the UK since April 2022; and what are the principal reasons for granting.

Lord Sharpe of Epsom: The Home Office publishes data on asylum in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’ on gov.uk. Data on initial decisions by nationality are published in table Asy_D02 of the ‘Asylum applications, decisions and resettlement detailed datasets’. From April 2022 until December 2023, 9 main applicant Rwandan nationals were granted refugee permission and 1 main applicant was granted other leave. All asylum and human rights claims lodged from within the UK and admitted to the UK asylum system, including those seeking asylum from Rwanda, are carefully considered on their individual merits in accordance with our international obligations, and against the background of relevant case law, policy guidance and the latest available country of origin information.